Inchies

I decided it was time to try something a little different. No, I'm not going to stop making ATC's. I just wanted to try my hand at something new. These are called Inchies because they are 1 in. X 1 in. I added the dime to give you an idea of what they are like to work with. These have all been painted with "Twinkling H2O's". It is a type of watercolor that has mica added to the pigment. The results are fabulous. I want to try some more some time. Maybe with chalks or rubber stamps.

Postage Stamp Swap

This set of cards was created for a swap. The theme of the swap was that every card had to have at least on postage stamp on it. I grew up in a family of stamp collectors so I had no trouble finding some awesome stamps. The swap was a 7/6 which means that I had to make seven cards and the swap moderator will send 6 cards to me. They will all be made by different artists. I think that I have had the most fun with this swap. It has definitely been my favorite so far.

Let's JAM

I have been introduced to something new. It's all about sharing your creativity with your friends. This is the way it works. The first person creates 3 identical backgrounds. There is no theme just something interesting. That person sends the 3 cards to the second person. This person pick a focal point. It can be anything a picture, a found item or whatever. Again it is important to keep the cards identical. This person sends the cards to a 3rd person. They will add the details and/or embellishments. The 3rd person sends a card back to the 1st and the 2nd. You now have 3 friends that have shared very unique experience.
The scan with this post has six very special cards.

I got together with Trish and our friend Bernice Rittenhouse. We each made 2 sets of backgrounds. I gave one set to Bernie and the other set to Trish. After they added the focal point, they switched the sets Trish finished the set Bernice had been working on and Bernice the the set that Trish had. By the time the evening was over, we as a group had made 18 cards. Each of us has 6 cards to keep. The first 2 cards(column) Trish made the backgrounds, the next column were by Bernice and I made the last 2. Bernice added the picture of the woman to Trish's 1st background and I finished it with the a few metal brads and the words "never be ordinary". The second background I added the cat from a vintage postcard and Bernice finished it off. Trish added the ballerina's the Bernice orange color background and I finished it with a piece of ribbon, a clip and a some shimmering highlights. I added the flower stamps to Bernice's second and Trish finished it with the metal tag brad and added each of our initials. Trish added the picture of the little girl to my black, white and red background and Bernice finished it with the bling hearts and a metal corner brad. Bernice added the stamp of a beach scene to my pink and brown background and Trish finished it with the seahorse charm and the seashell.
This week I have been part of an International JAM. A woman named Kirrily for Australia sent me 3 backgrounds, I added a vintage picture of a young woman to each and I mailed the cards the a woman named Sandra who lives in Scotland. I can't wait to see the finished product. When I get it I will be sure to post it.

The Swap

I have now participated in several swaps at a rubber stamp/craft store in Cincinnati. The store is called, "Stamp Your Art Out". Every month they post a theme on their website and anyone who wants to participate can submit cards. The theme for this swap was, "My Heart Belongs to You." What makes this swap even more special is that my best friend Trish decided to join in.
In a previous post I explained what editions are. Several cards that are either the same or based on the same style or thought. Each person makes nine cards and they are numbered 1/9, 2/9 etc. The store keeps one to display and the rest are traded to the other participants. Last month there were six of us. It's always fun to open the envelope and see how each person interprets the theme.
When I heard, "My Heart Belongs to You." all I could think of was a Valentine. The background was created on the computer using Word Art and the definition was found on Dictionary.com. The glitter heart was a plain silver brad but a little red tinsel embossing powder brought it to life. The heart is card stock and is edged with lace. The next card is Trish's. I just never thought of that and she said, "that's the first thing that popped into my head." The rest of the cards belong to Claudine, Patty, Nan & Judy. Even though I have never met any of these ladies I have become very familiar with their art and feel like I know them. This month is "Tickled Pink" and the cards are already in the making.

A Miniature Scrapbook

Now that I have have been making ATC's for awhile I'm finding it difficult going back to the 12x12 or 8.5 x 11 size format. I have found that "less is more". It's compact and will fit into your purse. It's a great way to use all of those photos that do not seem to fit in anywhere else. I managed to fit my family, my cat and even my favorite hockey player onto 9 little cards.

Alcohol Inks

This is a newer technique and my first time to use them. The ink comes in small squeeze bottles and is applied to the surface with a sponge. It can be used on glossy paper, tile, glass or acrylic. I applied the ink to High Gloss photo paper. Different colors of ink can be added to the paper or can be dabbed together on the same sponge. After the background is created an image can be applied with a stamp using permanent ink or with a permanent marker. I used a sharpie. The image is them highlighted and detailed with a gel pen. Traditionally a white gel pen is used but since I did not have one I used a silver gel pen.

More Kaleidoscopes

The cards in this scan were created from a photo taken by my brother Mike Austin. He is a freelance photographer and has had his photo of Kings Island named "Photo of the Day" on Webshots. I took his photo a step further and made a little magic of my own. If you study the colors in the cards you will be able to identify which part of the picture it is from. The card in the middle is the lower portion of the tower. It's easy to pick out the fireworks. The ninth card in the scan is one of the few that I used 12 petals for my kaleidoscope. I prefer 6 although you can use 3-22. When you use that many the image starts to loose it color and becomes muted. I enjoy working with this program so much that I could probably start another blog dedicated to kaleidoscopes.